Message: "'Caprice'" - Behind the Name

'Caprice'

by Mason (guest)

8/13/2004, 11:37 PM

"Caprice" is an Italian name, right?
Also, how would you pronounce it the Italian way? Is it the same as the English way?

#Caprice

Replies

- Martina (guest)

8/16/2004, 8:12 PM

Hi,
I found this:

CAPRICE
Gender: Female
Meaning: Fanciful
Origin: French

It's from a reliable source.
:) Martina

- Caprice (guest)

8/14/2004, 1:58 PM

I prefer to pr. my username in Italian: cuh-PREET-chuh. The French pr. is cuh-PRISS.
:)

- Claire (guest) +1

8/14/2004, 11:20 AM

Caprice is also a French word meaning, errr... you know, what he kid does when he is too spoiled... Being difficult, always wanting new things... But in France it's not a name (and it's a derogatory word).

- Chrisell

8/14/2004, 5:19 PM

The English equivalent is capricious :-)

- Chrisell +8

8/14/2004, 1:17 AM

In Italian it would be, approximately, "ka-PREE-chay" - with the 'ay' sound on the end softer than it would be in English, but not quite as soft as an 'eh' sound.

- Mason (guest) +7

8/14/2004, 8:50 AM

I thought in English, it was "ka-prees" w/ "prees" being "priest" without the "t". Or is that just the noun with a definition?

- Anon. (guest) +6

8/14/2004, 10:13 AM

The word Caprice is really the French form of the Italian Capriccio. I think Italians should use the French pronunciation, because they are using a French form, but perhaps they don't, I don't know.
This word has a rather surprising origin. It literally means 'head (like a) hedgehog', which is to say, with the hairs standing upright (from fright). This is the original meaning: a horror. (Oxf.Engl.Dict.)

- Mason (guest) +5

8/14/2004, 11:40 AM

Yeah...thanks, but I just wanted my question(s) answered.

- Anon. (guest) +1

8/15/2004, 2:15 AM

Is there any way I can compensate you for the time you wasted on my post?

- Chrisell

8/15/2004, 5:16 AM

Be nice!

The information was interesting - I appreciated it! - but you have to admit that it wasn't actually the information he/she was seeking. :-)

- Chrisell +2

8/14/2004, 5:17 PM

I would certainly pronounce it the way you said, "ka-PREES". Italian has very set rules about how things are pronounced (regardless of the word's original language, Anon.), and a 'c' with an 'e' or an 'i' after it is always the English "ch".

- Mason (guest) +1

8/14/2004, 6:40 PM

OK. Thank you, Chrisell. Btw, that's not only how I would pronounce it in English, but that's the dictionary's way in English..

So, it's not just "ch" at the end, but "chay" softly right?

Thanks again in advance.

- Chrisell

8/14/2004, 9:11 PM

That's right - in Italian all letters are pronounced (except 'h', but that's another story!), so the 'e' is said, somewhere between the 'e' in 'bet' and the 'ay' in 'say'. :-)

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